Mrs Mop Does a Marathon Clean Every Year

British women do so much cleaning that over the course of a year they cover the same distance as a full-length marathon with their mop.

According to a nationwide study of domestic duties by cleaning expert Vileda, the average British woman mops nearly 26 miles of floor each year. This equates to a staggering 1,150 miles with a mop in a lifetime – the equivalent to jogging from Brighton to Glasgow – and back again.

Their male counterparts aren’t going quite the same distance, coming in at just over 20 miles a year.

The survey, which polled 3,000 people from all across the UK*, also reveals that the average time women spend mopping is 11 minutes and 45 seconds per session compared to a shorter time of just over 10 minutes for men.

The Northern Irish mop the furthest – mopping more than 2,000 miles each year. And it’s the South East who spend’s the least time mopping, with 27% admitting to spending only up to 5 minutes mopping each time.

It was revealed that Londoners like to spend lots of time scrubbing the floor, with 63% of those polled admitting to getting down on their hands and knees regularly to tackle those tough stains.

Lindsey Taylor, spokesperson for Vileda, said: “British women really are going the distance when it comes to mopping.

“Interestingly, the most regular moppers are people with grey hair – mopping at least twice a week.

“Cleaning doesn’t need to be a massive chore – little and often is the best way - there really is no excuse for those who don’t mop regularly.”